Bangladesh, UNHCR agree on voluntary return of Rohingya refugees

UN refugee agency UNHCR and the Bangladesh government finalised a memorandum of understanding in Geneva relating to the voluntary return of Rohingya refugees once conditions in Myanmar are conducive.

The deal signed by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque established a framework of cooperation between UNHCR and Bangladesh on the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of refugees in line with international standards, the UNHCR said in a statement on Friday.

More than 670,000 Rohingya fled violence in Myanmar since last August, joining an estimated 200,000 Rohingya who have sought shelter in Bangladesh, arriving in waves over the past decades.

For the hospitality, protection, and assistance provided to those refugees, UNHCR would like to extend its “sincere thanks” to the government and people of Bangladesh.

In the absence of a tripartite agreement between UNHCR, Myanmar and Bangladesh, UNHCR has continued to engage with both governments in negotiations on two separate MoUs, meant to ensure that any future returns are conducted in line with the international standards of voluntariness, safety and dignity.

The UNHCR considers that conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for returns to be safe, dignified, and sustainable.

“The responsibility for creating such conditions remains with the Myanmar authorities, and these must go beyond the preparation of physical infrastructure to facilitate logistical arrangements.”

Refugees in Bangladesh have said that before considering return to Myanmar, they would need to see concrete progress in relation to their legal status and citizenship, security, and their ability to enjoy basic rights at home in Rakhine State.

UNHCR has continued to call on Myanmar to take concrete measures to address the root causes of displacement, in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

One step Myanmar could immediately take is to provide UNHCR and other relevant actors with full and unhindered access to refugees’ places of origin in Rakhine State, which would enable UNHCR to assess the situation and provide information to refugees about conditions in the places of origin, as well as to monitor any possible future return and reintegration of refugees, according to the statement.

Another practical measure would be to ease restrictions on movement for the internally displaced persons encamped in the central townships of Rakhine State, which would also help to build confidence among refugees in Bangladesh, UNHCR said.

“Such concrete measures would help demonstrate to refugees that the Myanmar is committed to a sustainable solution.”